The abdominal or "six pack" muscles, which run down the midline of the body are often responsible for pain that refers to the back. The pain pattern is bilateral, it goes from left to right. Often the client will run their hand horizontally to show that both the left, middle and right sides are affected.
What might cause this pain pattern?
-sitting for long periods of time
-weight lifting, especially dead lifting
-any type of bend-and-lift scenario, however, unlike QL and iliocostais LBP which create pain on one side of the back, this injury doesn't seem involve twisting in my observation
Take a look at the referral pattern below. Not the x on the image. These are the trigger points to be treated. The photo shows examples in the mid-back as well as the low-back.
How to fix it:
Palpate your "six pack" area/ abdominals for taught bands of muscle. The muslce extends from the ribs down to the pelvic bone. Often I find these trigger points are inferior to the navel.
Bend forward and squeeze the trigger points on your abdominals, then bend slightly backwards. This will bring the abdominal muscles through their range of motion as you release them.
Alternately, use a ball. Press on the abdmonals with a ball directly across from where the pain is on the back side of the body.
Comments